June has been designated “LGBT Pride Month” by the activist community and its allies. As we should expect, corporations, the entertainment world, and politicians are falling all over themselves promoting the month. While much of the advocacy is geared toward adult consumers, some of it is pointed toward children and teens.
USA Today lists 40 different brands that put out “Pride” collections, selling merchandise and donating some of the proceeds to LGBT non-profits. You can buy LGBT-themed clothes, shoes, accessories and toiletries from Adidas, Apple, Banana Republic, Bath and Body Works, Converse, Disney, Doc Martens, Harry’s Razors, Gap, Olay, Reebok, Target, Teva, Toms, Uggs and other companies.
What child isn’t attracted to rainbows – even if it’s not exactly like the natural rainbow that God designed? Disney has plush, stuffed Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse toys dressed in all the colors of the LGBT flag. Kids of all ages can buy a Mickey Mouse Icon Pin colored with either the lesbian flag, the intersectional Flag, the transgender flag or the bisexual flag. They’re all part of the Rainbow Disney Collection.
And what children don’t love brightly-colored, glittery, sugary cereals? Kellogg’s is producing “Kellogg’s Together With Pride” cereal with all its familiar characters including Toucan Sam; Tony the Tiger; Snap, Crackle and Pop; and a bunch of others introduced since I stopped eating sugary cereals.
“Our delicious new recipe features berry-flavored, rainbow hearts dusted with edible glitter,” the company said. “Kellogg will donate $3* (up to $140,000) to support GLAAD’s efforts in accelerating acceptance and advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community,” when consumers upload their receipt as proof of purchase. GLAAD is an activist group promoting LGBT issues in entertainment and the media.
“Boxes Are for Cereal, Not For People,” Kellogg says, “No matter who you are, who you love, or what pronouns you use, you’re too awesome to fit into a box.” Children can pick their own pronouns he/him, she/her, they/them – or add their own.
And what kids don’t like parades, with colorful floats and marching bands? Well, Blue’s Clues and You, a live-action and animated television series targeting kids ages 3-5, has an LGBT parade for you!
The show just released “The Blue’s Clues Pride Parade” video, featuring a cartoon version of Nina West, a drag queen and activist from RuPaul’s Drag Race. West announces, “It’s time for a pride parade” and sings, “Families marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah … This family has two mommies, they love each other so proudly, and they all go marching in the big parade.”
The song is set to the tune of the Civil War song, “When Johnny comes marching home again.” The author, Patrick Gilmore, clearly meant something different when he wrote the song in 1863 and ended each stanza with, “And we’ll all feel gay, When Johnny comes marching home.”
The Blue’s Clues version goes on to introduce pre-school children to families with two mommies and two daddies; non-binary “babas” (I’m still trying to figure out what they are); trans members; “ace, bi, and pan members”; drag kings and queens; and allies to the queer community who “can love their queer friends so proudly.”
“Love is love is love, you see, and everyone should love proudly, and we’ll all go marching in the big parade.” It doesn’t matter if the meter is a little off at times, parents can explain to their children what non-binary, asexual, bisexual, and pansexual-identified people are. The YouTube video has over 400,000 views at this point.
Blue’s Clues has another online segment where Josh and Blue sing their “We Just Got an Email” song. The video features a young girl who tells the viewer, “Happy Pride Month! Pride Month celebrates that everyone should be equal, no matter who they love.” She then goes on to show a drawing of all the different flags in the LGBT community: gay, non-binary, lesbian, transgender, and more.
Other children explain how they celebrate pride, with a young boy telling why he attends pride parades with his two moms. One wonders how his moms explain, to their two children, the various parade participants that often include “dykes on bikes,” drag queens, men gyrating in speedos, and people in leather and chains simulating sado-masochistic acts on brightly colored floats.
With respect to our government, the White House issued “A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, 2021.” The announcement said, “Pride is a time to recall the trials the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) community has endured and to rejoice in the triumphs of trailblazing individuals who have bravely fought – and continue to fight – for full equality.”
The administration said that 14% of “1,500 agency appointees identify as LGBTQ+” and touted the appointments of “Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the Cabinet, and Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate.”
The Daily Mail reported that the administration “will allow U.S. diplomatic outposts around the world to fly the Pride flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. flag.”
The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, the seat of the Roman Catholic Pope, placed a large LGBT flag on its building and tweeted, “The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See celebrates #PrideMonth with the Pride flag on display during the month of June. The United States respects the dignity and equality of LGBTQI+ people. LGBTQI+ rights are human rights.” So much for respecting the Catholic Church, which views homosexual acts as “intrinsically disordered,” and “contrary to the natural law.”
So how should Christians respond to this ever-growing flood of support for the LGBT activist movement and to the targeting of children with this agenda? Here are a few thoughts.
First, I believe we should pray for those caught in homosexuality – and for our own hearts to be gracious and loving toward them.
About ten years ago, I was deeply challenged by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly in this regard. He was discussing his friendship with a gay-identified man who was in charge of spending millions for an LGBT non-profit. He said, “How many of you actually pray for him?”
That thought stuck with me, and I began developing a prayer list of both LGBT activists with public influence and individuals struggling with these issues. Some of these are individuals that my friends and family members know, and I try to bring them up before the Lord regularly, asking Him to save and transform them. What if millions of Christians around the world prayed consistently and fervently for individuals in this community?
Second, as we’ve often said here at The Daily Citizen, we should protect our children, while also preparing them for when they do encounter these issues. That means giving them a solid understanding of God’s design for humans as male and female and His plan for healthy relationships and marriage. We’ve created numerous resources to help families with this task, so that when issues like homosexuality and transgenderism come up, parents will be able to handle those conversations.
Finally, when discussing this issue in cultural and political arenas, we must continue to stand for the truth – with courage, wisdom and grace.
Related resources and articles:
Helping Teens Respond to Homosexuality with Love, Truth and Courage
How Should We Respond? An exhortation to the church on loving homosexuals
How to Talk to Your Children About Homosexuality: A guide for parents
How to Teach Your Children About Marriage: Creative and practical ideas
Increase in LGBT Characters in Children’s Entertainment – Focus’ Plugged In Gives Advice for Parents
Raising Children Who Honor Marriage: What you should know
Sesame Street Celebrates LGBT Pride Month – How Should Christians Respond?
The Talk: Healthy Sexuality Education — Basic Goals and Guidance from Focus on the Family
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